Review of Irreversible (2002) by Harpreet S — 06 Jul 2013

Gaspar Noe's "Irreversible" has maybe one of the two most brutal sequences in film; otherwise it's actually not as violent as some people may claim to be. Like Christopher Nolan's "Memento" it's told backwards which can be considered a negative and a positive. A negative because to me the film's highest points come in the beginning and gradually the film changes to a steady, even underwhelming pace; it's a positive because we come to realize what the director was trying to tell its audience and it also shows how genuine its characters are, how real they feel, their aspirations. Gaspar Noe does a good job in providing a very raw film but at the same time he instills style. Monica Bellucci, Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel all excel in their roles. I did not love or hate the film, its abnormal camerawork does become annoying, but at some parts I understood the use of it. It's a fine little movie.

One thing I will say is I can't always understand the motivations behind some people, how cruel they can be, they are just worthless; the thought of it makes me furious, I completely understood Marcus (Cassel)'s motivation and I would have tried to do the same if I was in his situation, if I was courageous enough.